Demolition May Follow $2.7 Million Deal

Des Plaines Is New Owner Of Mall

During a town meeting early last year, Mayor Ted Sherwood pledged to redevelop the commercially stagnant downtown area of Des Plaines.

The plan included tearing down the unsightly Behrel parking garage and either remodeling or razing the Des Plaines Mall, a shopping center that has not lived up to expectations.

On Tuesday, Sherwood said he made good on his promise by announcing that the city had acquired the Des Plaines Mall for $2.7 million through condemnation proceedings.

The city will take possession of the 114,000-square-foot building at 700 Pearson St. from Skokie businessman David Friedman on Jan. 4, Sherwood said.

Also, Sherwood said, "by March 1, weather permitting, the Behrel deck should be demolished, and by that date we also hope to have found a developer with a preliminary plan for the entire 6.2-acre site."

Redevelopment of the mall and parking deck site, sometimes called the "super-block" and bounded by Pearson Street, Lee Street, Metra tracks and Prairie Avenue, probably will not begin until mid-1997 at the earliest, Sherwood said.

"It's real likely that the mall will still be standing in December 1997," said city manager Wally Douthwaite.

Most scenarios discussed for revitalization of the area include tearing down the mall for new development.

Until then, the city will act as the mall's landlord, collecting rent checks from the building's 28 tenants on a month-to-month basis, Sherwood said.

"Obviously, we'd like some of these tenants to join us in our new enterprise," Sherwood said.

Richard Cordts, owner of Ellinwood Pharmacy and president of the Des Plaines Mall Merchants' Association, said the mayor's announcement wasn't a surprise, but admitted he was "reassured" when Sherwood said Tuesday that parking and security arrangements--and most important, rent fees--will not change while the city serves as interim landlord.

Cordts said most merchants will probably remain in the mall until construction begins.

While optimistic that a new development would prove to be a good arrangement for retailers, managers of the development "will have to be reasonable on the rent, or they won't get anybody to stay," Cordts said.

Although no specific plans have been submitted by developers, Douthwaite said he would "bet his paycheck" that eventually the mall will be torn down.

The drab building has never been more than 50 percent occupied, city officials said. Any plans for the parcel must eventually be approved by the Des Plaines City Council.

Market data have shown, however, that hotels and office buildings probably "would not be suitable for the site," said city economic development director Jack Klaus.

"There will be a residential and a retail component. How much of each still has to be decided," he said.

Consultants hired by the city have suggested possibly moving the library to the mall site and adding a central attraction that includes multiple draws, such as a museum or sculpture garden.

City officials will discuss leasing and other details of its purchase of the building with mall retailers at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the mall, Sherwood said.